Indians are polytheists, there are three major gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and they form the hindu Trimurti.
Brahma has a jug, a symbol of eternal life, the holy rosary, symbol of the eternal cycle of time and a lotus too. This god had a fifth head (to look also at the top) but was beheaded by Shiva.
The shell (Sankha) in the hands of the deity Vishnu is a weapon used in war against the demons who tremble, terrified by its sound. Nowadays all rituals are preceded by the sound of the shell to ward off evil demons. The wheel (chakra) represents the cycle of life and the club is instead a defense weapon. The lotus indicates the importance of the gods.
Shiva, meaning "kind, gentle", is the third person of the Trimurti. On his forehead he has a third eye, the eye of the clear vision of Being and around his neck there is a snake, the symbol of the eternal cycle of time.
Some other important gods are: god of wind (Idra), god of fire (Agni), god of death (Siva), god of light (Aditi), god of night (Diti), god of sky (Kasjapa), god of love (Kama), god of war (Kartikaja), god of moon (Chandra) and the god of work (Twashtar).
Some families have their particular deity they worship for generations. Hindu deities are often a mixture of good and cruelty: for example, Parvati, Shiva's wife, is worshipped both as the good mother and as the terrible god of war. Every family have at home some statues of gods in a corner but they pray also in great temples (mandir).
DIVINITY
Indians are polytheists, there are three major gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and they form the hindu Trimurti.
Brahma has a jug, a symbol of eternal life, the holy rosary, symbol of the eternal cycle of time and a lotus too. This god had a fifth head (to look also at the top) but was beheaded by Shiva.
The shell (Sankha) in the hands of the deity Vishnu is a weapon used in war against the demons who tremble, terrified by its sound. Nowadays all rituals are preceded by the sound of the shell to ward off evil demons. The wheel (chakra) represents the cycle of life and the club is instead a defense weapon. The lotus indicates the importance of the gods.
Shiva, meaning "kind, gentle", is the third person of the Trimurti. On his forehead he has a third eye, the eye of the clear vision of Being and around his neck there is a snake, the symbol of the eternal cycle of time.
Some other important gods are: god of wind (Idra), god of fire (Agni), god of death (Siva), god of light (Aditi), god of night (Diti), god of sky (Kasjapa), god of love (Kama), god of war (Kartikaja), god of moon (Chandra) and the god of work (Twashtar).
Some families have their particular deity they worship for generations. Hindu deities are often a mixture of good and cruelty: for example, Parvati, Shiva's wife, is worshipped both as the good mother and as the terrible god of war. Every family have at home some statues of gods in a corner but they pray also in great temples (mandir).
BRAHMA VISHNU SHIVA
Here is a cloze test on Divinity:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47621644/India%20D-divinity.htm